


Carlotta

by psalmoflife



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Bets & Wagers, Gen, honeypot mission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-30
Updated: 2013-10-30
Packaged: 2017-12-31 00:01:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1024943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/psalmoflife/pseuds/psalmoflife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ward is sent on a honeypot mission, Skye bets him that he won't be able to seduce the mark.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Carlotta

**Author's Note:**

> Minor spoilers through episode five.

Skye was willing to give SHIELD one thing- there was never a dull day. 

She woke up on Thursday morning planning to spend the day fiddling with her laptop and putting in some training hours, interspersed with some groveling to make up for her continued involvement with the Rising Tide. Instead, she found herself at the briefing table, watching May and Coulson run through infiltration options for yet another swanky party being thrown by this week’s villain. 

“Hasn't anyone noticed that throwing big parties is a security risk?” she wondered out loud. No one paid attention- Coulson may have been willing to give her a second chance, but everyone else was still ignoring her. Her only human interaction for the past week had been her training sessions with Ward. 

She zoned out a bit, trying to follow the conversation Fitz and Simmons were having about some sort of infrared scanner, then jumped back to attention when May, in a teasing voice, said, “Guess it’s time for a wax, Ward.” 

Skye’s head shot around to gape at her, her jaw dropping further when Ward gave a good natured eye-roll and let the comment go unanswered.

The team began dispersing, presumably to go prepare for the mission. Skye sidled her way over to Coulson. “Want to, um, give me the highlights?”

“The mark is an heiress to a crime family, and is currently overseeing a human trafficking ring that primarily deals in mutants. We need someone to get in close enough range of her laptop that Fitz can hack it.” Coulson looked up from the binder he was flipping through. “As it happens, our heiress recently went through a bad breakup and is making a habit of allowing herself to be seduced by strange men. Based on our data, we believe that Agent Ward has a reasonable chance of getting in close.”

“You’re sending him on a honeypot mission.” Skye’s voice was somewhere between incredulous and amused.

“That’s the common term, yes.” Coulson went back to his binder. 

Skye made a few vague gestures with her hands, and said, “And you have no ethical problems with this?” 

“Agent Ward is an adult and capable of consent, and he’s been with SHIELD long enough to know that we would find another way if he was uncomfortable. The mark will not be drugged or coerced. We’re relying on her attraction to him to-” 

“Yeah, and that’s the other problem,” Skye interrupted. “There’s no way that Ward’s by-the-book thing actually works on women, and especially not on an heiress that’ll have her pick of the room.” 

“I think you’re underestimating him,” Coulson said, finally putting the binder away. 

\---

Recognizing a lost cause, Skye attempted to give Ward some advice during their training session, and was politely, but firmly, rebuffed. 

“I know what I’m doing.” It was so aggravating how he wasn't even a little out of breath after their workout.

“I’m not disputing your badassness,” she wheezed out. “Just saying that seducing someone is more than tab-a slot-b.”

“I’ve got it.” He gave her a pat on the shoulder. “But it’s good to know I’ll have you in my ear if I run out of ideas.” 

“But-” 

“Look,” he interrupted. “I’ll make you a bet. If this doesn't work, I’ll take seduction lessons from you. If it does, we up your cardio and you stop bitching about your training. Deal?” 

Skye gave him a considering look. She _really_ didn't want to increase her cardio, but she also knew that there was no way she would lose.

“Deal.”

\---

Friday evening found Skye, Simmons, and Coulson clustered around the command center. Fitz was across the room with another screen, waiting to hack Carlotta’s laptop. May and Ward had left a few hours earlier, May posing as his driver and providing back-up, should she be necessary. 

Skye had caught a glimpse of Ward before they left, and she had to admit that he looked the part. They had found him some fancy designer suit that emphasized his broad shoulders and the curve of his ass, made him look tall and strong without being overpowering. 

She was willing to admit that the suit would catch Carlotta’s attention, maybe get him a dance, but she was still convinced that he was going to crash and burn. 

\---

He wasn't crashing and burning. 

He’d walked into the room with his shoulders back and head held high, moving with - dare she say it? - swagger and confidence. He’d immediately caught the attention of most everyone in the room, and less than five minutes later, Carlotta had sent him a drink. 

They were now somewhere between their third and fourth rounds of drinks, taking a spin out on the dance floor. The band was playing something bluesy and slow, and Carlotta was pressed close to Ward’s chest, his arm wrapped around her hips. The music was just loud enough that he had an excuse to lean his head towards hers, his lips brushing against her ear as they spoke. 

Somewhere between rounds four and five, she called for a bottle of champagne and sat herself on Ward’s lap. By the time the waiter brought the champagne to the table, she was back on her feet, tugging on his hand and waving off the bodyguards that tried to follow, heading for the elevators with the champagne and tugging Ward along behind her. 

\---

Carlotta yanked Ward down into a kiss as soon as they were in the elevator, and while Skye still thought the whole premise of the mission was a little skeezy, she couldn't deny that the woman was clearly in charge. 

Once they left the elevator the team on the Bus lost visuals (Fitz had ranted earlier about hotels that respected privacy and didn’t have cameras in the rooms), but Ward’s comm unit was still picking up their breathing, Carlotta’s laughter, and the distinctive rasp of a zipper moving. 

Then there was a muffled thud, followed by Ward saying, “Mark is out. Estimate two hours before she metabolizes the KO serum. Fitz, am I in range of the laptop?” 

“Yeah, got it,” Fitz muttered, bent over his screen. “Should only take a couple minutes.”

“Ward, see if you can find any paper documentation in the room,” Coulson said. 

“And maybe also see what brand of moisturizer she uses?” Simmons asked. “Her skin is lovely.” 

(Skye was pretty sure that the muffled snort that came over the comm at that was from May.)

Fitz broke into Carlotta’s laptop moments after that, and he and Simmons were immediately absorbed in the data. “I think we've got everything copied over,” Fitz muttered. “Just need some time to detect patterns.”

“It looks like they’re moving some people next Tuesday,” Simmons said. “Maybe we can cut them off?” 

“Maybe,” Coulson said. “Ward, anything else from the room?” 

“No, sir. They seem to be avoiding a paper trail. Moisturizer is Cle de Peau. Looks expensive.” 

“Alright. Bring it in. Be sure to avoid the rest of her group on your way out.”

\---

The next morning, Skye went down to the training area to find Ward stretching out, hands already taped.

“Ready for some extra time on the treadmill?” 

Skye opened her mouth, thought about the bet, then closed it again, choosing instead to move over to the machine and push buttons with a little more force than was strictly necessary. She did the first five minutes of her run in silence, Ward moving through the rest of his stretches and some sit-ups on the floor next to her. 

“Congratulations,” she finally panted. 

“Thanks.” 

The problem with Ward, she decided, was that she didn't know if he was mad at her, or if he was just doing his usual, laconic thing. 

When she hopped off the treadmill to spend some time hitting the bag, she decided to try again. “Look, I’m sorry for doubting you. I know you've been undercover before and have the necessary training. It just seemed like something out of your comfort zone, especially after you freaked out about maybe having to seduce that guard in Belarus.” 

“Skye, I wasn't freaking out about having to seduce the guard, I was freaking out about not having the necessary intel. I don’t improvise well outside of combat situations, especially in a country that isn't known for being friendly to gay people. For this, we knew exactly what I would need to do, and we knew the mark would be receptive. It’s totally different.” 

“Apparently.” Skye gave him a winning smile. “So, any chance that you’ll just forget about our bet?”

“No way. Back to work, rookie.”


End file.
